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The great Æneas and the Trojans lie
On pompous couches ftain'd with Tyrian dye :
Soft towels for their hands th' attendants bring,
And limpid water from the crystal spring.
They wafh; the menial train the tables spread;
And heap in glitt'ring canisters the bread.
To dress the feaft, full fifty handmaids join,
And burn rich incenfe to the pow'rs divine;
A hundred boys and virgins ftood around,
The banquet marshall'd, and the goblet crown'd.
To fill th' embroider'd beds the Tyrians come
Rank behind rank; and crowd the regal room.
The guests the gorgeous gifts and boy admire,
His voice, and looks, that glow with youthful fire;
The veil and foliage wond'ring they behold,
And the rich robe that flam'd with figur'd gold: 955
But chief the queen, the boy and presents move,
The queen, already doom'd to fatal love.

Infatiate in her joy, she fate amaz'd,

Gaz'd on his face, and kindled as she gaz’d.

First, his diffembled father he careft,

Hung round his neck, and play'd upon his breast;
Next to the queen's embraces he withdrew;
She look'd, and fent her foul at ev'ry view:
Then took him on her lap, devour'd his charms;
Nor knew poor Dido, blind to future harms, 965
How great a god fhe fondled in her arms.
But he, now mindful of his mother, stole
By flow degrees Sichaeus from her foul;

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}

Her

Her foul, rekindling, in her husband's ftead,
Admits the prince; the living for the dead.

Soon as the banquet paus'd, to raise their fouls
With sparkling wine they crown the maffy bowls.
Through the wide hall the rolling echo bounds,
The palace rings, the vaulted dome refounds.
The blazing torches, and the lamps difplay,
From golden roofs, an artificial day.

Now Dido crowns the bowl of state with wine,
The bowl of Belus, and the regal line.

Her hands aloft the fhining goblet hold,

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975

985

Pond'rous with gems, and rough with fculptur'd gold.980
When filence was proclaim'd, the royal fair
Thus to the gods addreft her fervent pray'r.
Almighty Jove! who plead'ft the ftranger's caufe;
Great guardian god of hofpitable laws!
Oh! grant this day to circle ftill with joy,
Through late pofterity, to Tyre and Troy.
Be thou, O Bacchus! god of mirth, a gueft;
And thou, O Juno! grace the genial feast.
And you, my lords of Tyre, your fears remove,
And fhew your guests benevolence and love.
She faid, and on the board, in open view,
The first libation to the gods the threw :

990

999

Then fip'd the wine, and gave to Bitias' hand:
He rofe, obedient to the queen's command;
At once the thirsty Trojan swill'd the whole,
Sunk the full gold, and drain'd the foaming bowl.
Then thro' the peers, with fparkling nectar crown'd,
The goblet circles, and the health goes round.

With curling treffes grac'd, and rich attire,
Iopas ftands, and fweeps the golden lyre;

The truths, which ancient Atlas taught, he fings,
And nature's fecrets, on the founding ftrings.
Why Cynthia changes; why the fun retires,
Shorn of his radiant beams, and genial fires;
From what originals, and causes, came
Mankind and beafts, the rain, and rising flame;
Arcturus, dreadful with his stormy star;

The wat❜ry Hyads, and the northern car;
Why funs in fummer the flow night detain,
And rush fo fwift in winter to the main.
With fhouts the Tyrians praise the fong divine,
And in the loud applause the Trojans join.
The queen, in various talk, prolongs the hours,
Drinks deep of love, and ev'ry word devours;
This moment longs of Hector to enquire,
The next of Priam, his unhappy fire;
What arms adorn'd Aurora's glorious fon;

How high, above his hofts, Achilles fhone;
How brave Tydides thunder'd on his car;

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How his fierce courfers fwept the ranks of war. 1029
Nay, but at large, my godlike guest, relate
The Grecian wiles, fhe faid, and Ilion's fate;
How far your courfe around the globe extends,
And what the woes and fortunes of your
For, fince your wander'd every fhore and fea,
Have fev'n revolving fummers roll'd away.

End of the First Book.

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